Coach George Moni NPSL 1st - Great Lakes West | Stadium Houseman Field NPSL Playoffs Regional Final | |
Top goalscorer League: Scott Doney (4)
All: Scott Doney (6) Highest home attendance 6,912 (July 22 vs. Indy Eleven NPSL) | ||
The 2016 Grand Rapids FC season was the second season of Grand Rapids Football Club, its first since moving to the National Premier Soccer League.
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It competed in the Great Lakes West Conference of the Midwest Region, along with five other Michigan teams and Dayton Dynamo for a total of 12 league games. Friendlies against Ole SC, Oakland County FC, Force FC and Muskegon Risers completed the schedule.
The season started off with Peter Brown scoring after just 48 seconds of GRFC's first NPSL match in Pontiac against Michigan Stars, only for the hosts to equalize before half-time.
The return match a week later was another close affair, Peter Brown again credited with an early goal, although his shot hit the post and went in off a defender's clearance. Noah Fazekas kept the club's first NPSL clean sheet.
Memorial Day saw the club travel to Ann Arbor, where they succumbed to a 3-1 loss, Greg Timmer grabbing a late consolation goal.
That was the first of three consecutive away games. Scott Doney had the visitors ahead early in Lansing, but the hosts equalized just seconds after the break.
Two direct free kicks from Lito Esquivel were the difference between the sides in the trip to Kalamazoo.
Detroit City visited Houseman Field for the homecoming. They grabbed an early lead, which was wiped out by two Scott Doney markers. Tyler Fischer added a third from a Trent Vegter long throw. Detroit pulled one back early in the second, but two goals from Joe Broekhuizen completed an emphatic victory. A club league record 6,122 watched the match, the second largest attendance in NPSL regular season history (the record at the time was 7,140 at Detroit's opener against Ann Arbor on May 20).
The next home match ended in a disappointing 2-2 result against Kalamazoo, the visitors twice took the lead only for GRFC to equalize.
A lone Scott Doney goal in the first half was enough to take three points from Dayton in the sole trip outside Michigan.
At their last away game of the season, a Noah Fazekas penalty save earned GRFC a point in a goalless stalemate against Detroit City.
A single goal from Tyler Fischer completed the double over Dayton, the first 'season sweep' for GRFC in league action. Combined with a defeat by Ann Arbor against Detroit, the result was enough to put GRFC top of the table for the first time in their history, with two games remaining.
In the top of the table match on July 8, AFC Ann Arbor went ahead in the first minute of the second half, but through goals by Jared Timmer, Noble Sullivan and Gabe Mateo the hosts celebrated 1st place in the Great Lakes West and a playoff matchup with Indy Eleven NPSL. The match was watched by a club record 6,854 spectators.
After the regular season was wrapped up with an effective dead rubber against Lansing United, the NPSL Midwest Regional Championship was hosted at Houseman Field.
In front of a further record attendance of 6,912, GRFC edged past Indy Eleven NPSL 1-0 thanks to another Noble Sullivan goal, but were unable to find a goal against AFC Cleveland in the final, losing on penalties 1-3 after 120 minutes of scoreless play.
Great Lakes West champions, and Midwest region runners-up in their first NPSL season.
Roster
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Team management
Head Coach: George Moni
Goal Scorers
Updated to June 23 vs Cleveland (complete for the season)
Appearances
Updated to June 23 vs Cleveland (complete for the season)
Note: These are the goal scorers and appearances in competitive matches and does not include friendlies.